European Parliament

Introduction to European Parliament: What It Is and How It Works

The European Parliament is one of three principal legislative branches of the European Union along with the Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers) and the European Commission. The Parliament consists of 705 members (MEPs) who are elected every five years by voters across the 27 Member States of the EU.

• The Parliament can approve, amend or reject legislation proposed by the Commission.
• It also oversees the work of the Commission and adopts the European Union’s budget.
• Furthermore, many international agreements cannot become law without the Parliament's consent.

Hence, the European Parliament plays a critical role in the democratic life of the European Union.

The Structure of European Union Parliament

The European Parliament is segmented into different structures to facilitate its operation.

• The Parliament is divided into political groups, with MEPs from the same political family across different Member States working together.
• There are currently seven political groups covering a wide political spectrum.

In addition to political groups, the Parliament is also organised into committees that focus on specific policy areas.

In conclusion, understanding the structure, purpose and operations of the European Parliament is integral to gaining a firm grasp on EU law.

Key Figures in the European Parliament

The functionality of the European Parliament relies on the collective efforts of its representatives. However, there are key figures whose roles and responsibilities help steer the institution. These include the President of the European Parliament and the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The Role of the President of the European Parliament

The President of the European Parliament plays a pivotal role in shaping the Parliament's policy. The President's duties are manifold and extend beyond being the face of the Parliament.

The President's tasks also extend to overseeing official parliamentary meetings, steering the actions of the institution, and liaising closely with the other EU institutions, such as the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. Furthermore, the President ensures that the Parliament's procedures are properly adhered to, making them the guarantor of the institution's smooth running.

Understanding the European Parliament Members

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are crucial to the functioning of the Parliament. Each member is democratically elected by EU citizens in their home countries and represents the interests of these citizens at the European level.

• There are 705 MEPs, each serving a five-year term.
• Each member state has a set number of seats, allocated according to the principle of "degressive proportionality". This means larger countries have more seats than smaller ones, but not in direct proportion to their populations.
• MEPs are grouped by political affinity, not by nationality.

Diverse Roles and Responsibilities of Members

While all MEPs share the common goal of representing their constituents' interests, their roles within the parliament can vary widely, based on their affiliations, committee assignments, and the roles they hold within their political groups.

• Some MEPs serve as 'rapporteurs', tasked with drafting reports on specific legislative proposals.
• Others hold leadership roles within their political group or serve as coordinators for their group within a committee.
• MEPs may be chosen to chair one of the parliament's numerous committees, a role that involves steering the committee's work and representing it to the rest of the institution.

Regardless of these varied roles, all MEPs participate in plenary sessions where they vote on legislation, and many contribute to committee works and engage with constituents in their home countries. In essence - every MEP has a responsibility to represent the interests of European citizens.

The Working Mechanisms of the European Parliament

The European Parliament operates through a complex set of rules and procedures, all designed to ensure democratic decision-making within the European Union. Key aspects of these workings include the voting procedure and the legislative powers invested in the Parliament.

European Parliament Voting Procedure Explained

Each member has one vote, and decisions are generally taken by an absolute majority. That means more than half of the given votes, excluding abstentions. In some special cases, rules or treaties require a different number of votes for a motion to be passed.

Most of the voting in parliament is done on the basis of a simple majority, which involves open roll call votes. Every MEP's vote is recorded and made public.

• A single majority vote: More 'yes' votes than 'no' votes, irrespective of the number of abstentions or MEPs not voting.
• Absolute majority: More than half of all MEPs must be in favour. This typically applies when electing the President of the European Parliament.
• Qualified majority: At least 314 out of the 705 MEPs must vote in favour. This applies to certain important decisions.

Understanding European Parliament Legislative Powers

The European Parliament shares legislative power with the Council of the European Union. This means it plays a major role in creating EU law.

The Parliament's legislative powers are exercised in various ways depending on the type of legislative procedure that applies:

• Ordinary legislative procedure: Also known as co-decision, is the most common procedure and applies to most areas of EU legislation. Both the Council of the EU and the Parliament must agree on the text of a legislative proposal.
• Special legislative procedures: Either the Council or the Parliament has the final say on the proposal, with the other institution being simply consulted.

The Impact of European Parliament Legislative Powers

Given that the European Parliament shares equal legislative power with the Council, its impact on policymaking is profound. Through passing legislation, the Parliament directly shapes the daily lives of European Union citizens.

The Parliament’s directives and regulations have led to improved product safety, cleaner environments, consumer protection, and the safeguarding of human rights. Plus, these laws have the potential to impact the global market since companies in non-EU countries often have to comply with EU standards if they want to sell their products within the EU.

Investigating the Workings of European Parliament Committees

Acknowledging the importance of the European Parliament in the EU's law-making process, it's imperative to understand its internal workings. Particularly, how parliamentary work is divided amongst different committees. Therefore, in this section, you'll get to learn about the composition and functions of these committees.

The Importance of Committees in the European Parliament

The importance of committees in the European Parliament cannot be overstated. Comprising MEPs from different member states and political groups, these committees are able to explore complex policy areas in greater depth than is feasible in wider parliamentary meetings. They’re where most of the Parliament’s legislative and scrutiny work is carried out.

Committees have three crucial functions in the legislative process:

• Examination and amendment: When legislative proposals come to the Parliament, they are assigned to the relevant committee, which reviews the details and suggests amendments.
• Report compilation: A 'rapporteur' from the committee will draft a report, including proposed amendments, which is then voted on by the committee.
• Plenary preparation: If the committee adopts the report, it is prepared for a vote in a Plenary session. The rapporteur presents the report and ensuing negotiations with the Council takes place.

By scrutinising legislation and proposing amendments, committees play a pivotal role in shaping EU law.

Different Types of Committees and Their Functions

Each committee in the European Parliament covers a specific area of EU policy. Together, they cover all areas of EU competence, reflecting the diversity of issues the EU legislates on.

Here are examples of permanent committees in the European Parliament:

Committees meet once or twice a month in Brussels, and meetings are typically live-streamed to aid transparency. Recommendations approved in committee meetings are forwarded to Plenary sessions for final voting.

However, the specific functions of committee types such as joint parliamentary committees and inquiry committees can vary based on the situations they're established to address.

The breadth of these committees and their specific roles underlines the complexity of the European Parliament's operation and the wide range of areas the EU is involved with.

Grasping the Significance of the European Parliament in the EU

The European Parliament holds a prominent position in the fabric of the European Union. Recognised as the only directly elected body of the EU, the Parliament’s authority extends into several key areas such as legislation, supervision, and budgetary decisions. The significance of the European Parliament lies in its ability to express the democratic will of the EU's hundreds of millions of citizens.

Detailed Examination of the Role of the European Parliament

The European Parliament plays a number of essential roles within the framework of the European Union. It shares legislative power with the Council of the European Union, directly representing the citizens' political will and forming one-half of the EU’s bicameral legislature.

Supplementary to its legislative responsibilities, the Parliament exercises an important supervisory role. It holds the other EU institutions, particularly the Commission, accountable for their actions, ensuring they are acting in the best interests of the EU and its citizens. This supervisory role extends to the EU’s budget, where the Parliament plays a decisive role in determining spending priorities.

• Approving Commission: The Parliament has the authority to approve or reject the appointment of the Commission, the EU’s executive body.
• Planning budget: Together with the Council, the Parliament determines the long-term budget of the EU, and scrutinises how funds are spent.
• Veto: The Parliament has the power to veto decisions that it thinks would not be in the public interest.

The Influence of the European Parliament in Shaping European Policies

As a central legislative body within the EU, the European Parliament exercises significant influence over the formulation and shaping of European policies. The institution uses its power to make decisions on an array of influential legislative acts, including directives and regulations that have vast implications for EU Member States and their citizens.

Policies shaped by the European Parliament cover wide-ranging areas, including environmental regulation, internal market rules, consumer protection standards, data privacy rights, and freedom, security and justice matters.

Policymaking in the European Parliament pass through a series of stages, starting from a proposal from the Commission, into debates and amendments in the relevant parliamentary committees, and ending with a vote in the Parliament's Plenary session. A proposal becomes a law only after it is approved both by the Parliament and the Council of the EU.

In essence, the influence of the European Parliament extends to all corners of the policy spectrum, playing a critical role in developing a harmonized and cohesive policy framework for the European Union.